The world isn't ending
Every old Christian person I know (which is basically my entire family) thinks it's the end of the world. They're convinced that we're living in "perilous" times and that it's a wrap. Get ready. Christ is coming! (Although they say this every decade.)
Even outside religious circles, I've noticed this energy of doom with everyone. People's views of the future are bleak. They're not sure what's on the horizon, but they don't think it's anything good. Everyone seems to think we've reached the "end" of something, and even though they might not say the quiet part out loud, you can tell they're thinking it.
But honestly, I'm tired of the doom and gloom. It feels very first-world/Americanized, as if there aren't other people and countries who are already experiencing their own end of the world (Palestine, Sudan, Ukraine).
And speaking of Ukraine, all this reminds me of an article I read when the war first started there. When the whole world was still in shock, The Guardian1 published an article where they interviewed Ukrainian college students about their thoughts about the war. Their outlooks were bleak, with many of them saying their futures "are gone now."
They all thought that this was the end. But, four years later, we all know that the world didn't end for Ukraine. They're still fighting and dying and the reality is that, when things go wrong, the world doesn't end, it just keeps going. The only difference is that reality changes to a newer, darker, shittier one. And, frustratingly, everyone just has to learn to deal with a new normal.
About a year after the war in Ukraine started, I had a client from Ukraine reach out to me for help with their website. It was a basic Shopify site selling some beauty product, but I remember her telling me in an email that sometimes her country's Internet goes out and to not worry if I don't hear from her for days. I thought, "Wow, I can't imagine living that way," but that was the everyday reality for her and millions of others. Their world didn't end, they just now have to dodge bombs while the Internet cycles in and out. Oh, and they still have to go to work, too.
The last part is important because I suspect a lot of people are secretly hoping for the end of the world so they can get out of work, which sounds ridiculous, but it makes sense. I remember in 2024 when everyone was freaking out about drones and people were questioning if they were from another planet (some jokingly, some seriously). I came across a comment that said, "If the aliens invade, can they do it before I have to go to work on Monday?"
All of this just feels like suicide ideation at a global scale: we just want something to take us away from our lives. The reality is that we're not special, and entire worlds won't end for us the moment we're inconvenienced.
And that Ukrainian client of mine? She never got back to me.
I unfortunately can't find the article for the life of me.↩